Picture This: How Pictures Work

In the preface to her book Picture This, Molly Bang shares the story of her journey to uncover the principles that govern the emotional impact of pictures. The narrative begins with Bang, a successful children’s book writer and illustrator, sketching objects around her house. During this time, her old friend, Leon, paid her a visit and suggested that instead of drawing isolated objects, she should attempt to create whole pictures, capturing entire scenes. As Bang tried to follow Leon’s advice, she became increasingly lost and confused. Leon, observing her struggle, bluntly pointed out that Bang didn’t really understand how pictures work, specifically in terms of picture structure.

Recognizing her lack of understanding, Bang resolved to educate herself. She enrolled in a painting course and delved into books on art and the psychology of art. She also spent time in museums and galleries, studying paintings and trying to discern how they made her feel and what elements contributed to those emotions. In addition to her studies, Bang decided to teach picture-making to her daughter’s third-grade class, believing that the process of teaching would further her own learning. During this experience, Bang and the children used simple shapes cut from construction paper in four colors (red, black, pale purple, and white) to create illustrations for the story of “Little Red Riding Hood.